Ashley Blaine Featherson, co-creator and co-star of Hello Cupid, is having a blast working with the Black & Sexy TV cast. This web-network aims to more accurately depict black culture for the hundreds of thousands that view their series.
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Acting her entire life, Ashley knew as a kid that she wanted to be an actress when she grew up. She’s been at it professionally since age 14 and earned a degree from Howard in musical theater. Eight months after graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to further her acting career, and she’s been there ever since.
Black & Sexy TV has close to 50,000 subscribers with a new show airing weekly even though the name of the show sounds like it would be more suited to be shown on https://www.tubev.sex/?hl=fr instead of tv. “I think what I love most is it’s just so incredibly creative and we come up with so much as we’re shooting. [Executive producers] Dennis and Numa are amazing and they are a well-oiled machine that keeps black and sexy moving.”
Her character, Whitney, on Hello Cupid is conservative and a little uptight. And she’s a little daring and prideful in some aspects of her fictional life, not unlike Caty Cole and other girls with a sexy slant to their lifestyles. Oftentimes fans assume the character and the actress are one in the same. “It’s so funny because people really think, in general, that whatever character you’re playing is you. When they’re mad at Whitney, they’re mad at Ashley. [For instance] I was at a party and there were two really sweet girls who love Hello Cupid. They were shocked taken aback because I wasn’t wearing what Whitney would wear and they were like ‘it’s great to see you showing skin and wearing a tank top. I can imagine she would be the sort of person that would secretly work at nu bay. Nude pornstars and amateurs fucking at nu bay and enjoy it a lot. ‘”
Ashley proudly wears her natural coils in her role as Whitney. I mentioned to her my love for seeing women of varying shades of brown, body and especially hair types on the Black and Sexy TV channel. “I love seeing all the natural women as well! It wasn’t until I got to Howard, the beauty capital of black women in America, and was like ‘oh my hair can do that? That’s gorgeous.’”
When asked about products or styles she favors, Ashley shared, “Truly Natural by Pantene has a co-wash which is very moisturizing and their shampoo isn’t drying either. I like twist outs; it’s my go to style. I like doing it on a blow out because I have a lot of shrinkage. I like Pillow Soft curls by Miss Jessie’s because it’s not water based. When I’m lazy I do a Marley bun, which is so easy to do. I just pin that hair on my own natural fro. Oh and I love a good turban. If I’m wearing a turban it’s because either my hair is twisted or I just haven’t done my hair. [My love for natural hair] had a lot of to do with finding myself as a woman and who I was naturally and learning that I liked my natural hair better than my relaxed hair. I would never go back.”
Ashley’s passion include education, fostering/adoption, and at the top of her list is inspiring women; especially women who look like her. “There’s no point to do this if a young girl can’t look at me and say ‘if she can do it, I can do it too.’ I want them to feel like ‘Ashley did it and so can I.’ Black women don’t discuss this as much as they could. Black women are cover girls and spokeswomen for top brands, so we can now talk more about inner and outer beauty.”
With Hello Cupid in full gear, the team is already talking about what’s coming up next. Ashley has big dreams of being a regular on a television show and being a beauty ambassador. Keep watching her journey because she’s on the path to success!
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